Coal Crek Drainage & Levee

- RR 2, Beardstown, IL 62618

The Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District, located near Beardstown, Illinois, plays an absolutely vital role in maintaining the integrity of the local landscape and protecting the surrounding communities and agricultural land from the inherent risks of river flooding. While the business type provided for this entity is "Plumber," the available public records and information clearly indicate that the Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District functions as a local governmental or quasi-governmental body specializing in large-scale heavy and civil engineering construction and essential flood control infrastructure maintenance. This critical work, which involves managing water systems on a grand scale, is what defines their service to the Illinois River region. It is important for local residents and stakeholders to understand the true scope of their operations, which centers on the construction, maintenance, and repair of the levee system that runs along the Illinois River. This is not a residential plumbing service that fixes household pipes, but a fundamental infrastructure service that protects the larger community from catastrophic water damage.

The maintenance and repair of the levee system, a large earthen structure designed to prevent the inundation of low-lying floodplains, are continuous and necessary efforts, especially considering the frequent high-water events along the Illinois River. The work performed by the District is often undertaken in coordination with or under the supervision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), demonstrating the critical nature and high level of expertise required for their projects. They are instrumental in managing the socio-hydrology of the lower Illinois River, mitigating flood risk for the land within the levee system which is often valuable agricultural property.

As a key component of the flood control infrastructure in this part of Illinois, the District’s operations are essential for the economic and environmental stability of the area. The region’s history is closely tied to the development of these drainage and levee systems, which were often initiated privately in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and later received federal support and upgrades. The continued work of the Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District is a modern continuation of this essential legacy of water management and flood protection. The District’s focus is on maintaining the design integrity of the levee to ensure it can continue to mitigate flood inundation risks, which is a major concern for properties throughout the Illinois River floodplain.

For any Illinois resident interested in the stability of their local environment and economy, understanding the vital function of levee districts like Coal Creek is key. They are the frontline defense against the power of the Illinois River, and their projects are directly responsible for safeguarding properties, infrastructure, and agricultural production in the protected area. While the nature of a "plumber" typically suggests small-scale internal pipework, the "drainage and levee" context clarifies the massive, civil engineering scale of this organization’s mission.

The Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District is geographically situated in a crucial area along the Illinois River in Schuyler County, Illinois. Their physical address is:

RR 2, Beardstown, IL 62618, USA

While this is the listed mailing address, the actual area of operation is the considerable stretch of the levee system they manage. This levee system is located along the right descending bank of the Illinois River, generally situated between river miles 85.0 and 92.0, directly across from the town of Beardstown. The levee forms a portion of the bank of Curry Lake and falls within the broader LaGrange Pool of the Illinois River Waterway.

The proximity to Beardstown makes the location central to the local community it serves. Access for site-specific project work, such as the major flood repairs and rehabilitation efforts that are regularly undertaken, involves working directly on the levee embankment. As a public infrastructure entity, their service is not about providing storefront access for walk-in services, but rather about the management and maintenance of a significant piece of public infrastructure that is accessible along this stretch of the river. The levee’s strategic position confirms its role as a primary defense for the properties located behind it from the river’s floodwaters.

Based on their designation as a Drainage & Levee District and records detailing recent projects, the services provided by the Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District are focused entirely on the construction, repair, and maintenance of flood control infrastructure. These are essential heavy and civil engineering services, often conducted in partnership with state and federal agencies like the USACE. The core services include, but are not limited to:

• Major Levee Rehabilitation and Repair: This involves restoring the levee’s structural integrity following high-water events, such as those that caused significant erosion and scour damage along the riverside slope.
• Erosion Control Installation: A substantial part of their work is focused on preventing further erosion to the levee's embankment. This often involves placing heavy, durable materials to protect the levee from wave wash and scour damage during floods.
• Riprap Placement: The strategic placement of large rock or stone (riprap) along the levee slope and toe to restore degraded slopes back to their original design grade and provide long-term erosion protection.
• Bedding Stone Installation: Preparing the foundation beneath the riprap with bedding stone to stabilize the material and ensure the repair provides maximum longevity and erosion resistance.
• Levee Slope Grading and Stripping: Work required to prepare the levee surface before placing protective materials, ensuring the correct profile and grade are maintained for flood protection effectiveness.
• Seeding Disturbed Areas: Rehabilitating and stabilizing any areas of the levee embankment that were disturbed during construction or repair work to promote vegetation growth and long-term soil stability.
• Federal Assistance Project Management: The District is eligible for and actively engages in Federal assistance programs (such as PL 84-99) for disaster-related repairs, demonstrating their ability to manage large, government-funded infrastructure projects.
• Drainage and Levee System Repair: General repair and maintenance to the various components of the levee and drainage system to address issues like underseepage, piping, and the maintenance of old and deteriorating gates and pipes related to the flood control structure.

The operations and characteristics of the Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District highlight several important features that are crucial for the local Illinois community:

• Critical Flood Defense Infrastructure: The levee system is a primary line of defense protecting properties, agricultural land, and local infrastructure in Schuyler County from inundation by the Illinois River, especially within the volatile LaGrange Pool.
• Focus on Restoration to Original Design: The rehabilitation projects are not designed to increase the levee's flood risk reduction level but to restore it to its original, engineered condition, ensuring the intended level of protection is consistently maintained for the local area.
• Collaboration with Federal Agencies: The District works closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for its rehabilitation projects, indicating that their work adheres to stringent federal engineering and construction standards for levee safety and structural integrity.
• Addressing Major Flood Damage: The District is demonstrably responsive to significant flood events, such as the 2023 flood, undertaking multi-million-dollar projects to rapidly address erosion and scour damage along significant lengths of the embankment, ensuring continued community safety.
• Strategic Location on Illinois River: The levee is positioned opposite Beardstown, spanning a significant seven-mile stretch of the river (River Miles 85.0 to 92.0), making its stable operation vital to the entire regional water management strategy.
• Use of Durable, Long-Term Repair Methods: Preference is given to structural repairs like the placement of riprap, which is designed to provide robust, long-term erosion protection to the levee’s slope against the damaging effects of high-water wave action.

For residents, contractors, or government partners needing to contact the Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District for operational, administrative, or project-related inquiries, the following information is publicly listed:

Address: RR 2, Beardstown, IL 62618, USA

Phone: (217) 323-4311

Mobile Phone: +1 217-323-4311

Choosing to support, or simply acknowledging the necessity of, the Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District is a choice to prioritize long-term flood resilience and community protection in the Beardstown area of Illinois. What makes this entity invaluable is its singular focus on a mission that is fundamental to the local way of life.

The stability and continued maintenance of the levee are paramount. A choice to rely on the District is a choice for an organization that is committed to maintaining a critical piece of the Lower Illinois River flood control system. The District specializes in heavy civil engineering—a type of work that cannot be performed by typical commercial contractors or residential services. Their existence is a recognition of the significant flood risk in the floodplain and the necessary, continuous work required to mitigate that risk. This includes complex, federally coordinated projects to place thousands of cubic yards of material like riprap to armor the levee against the relentless forces of the Illinois River.

By ensuring the levee is repaired quickly and correctly after flood damage, the District safeguards local assets. The work preserves the productive capacity of the protected farmlands and reduces the threat of property damage to communities within the levee system. In a region where agricultural land is a key economic driver and flood history is a constant factor, the work of the Coal Creek Drainage & Levee District represents an investment in resilience, safety, and economic security. Their projects are a clear demonstration of regional efforts to manage the complex, decades-long challenge of living alongside a major river system, making their services not just "worth choosing," but absolutely essential for the viability of the protected areas in Schuyler County.

Coal Crek Drainage & Levee

RR 2, Beardstown, IL 62618, USA